Pressure booster with integrated speed drive

An apparatus for boosting pressure a process fluid, the apparatus consisting essentially of:

• a motor;
• a pressure booster in the form of a centrifugal pump or a compressor;
• a rotatable motor shaft;
• and
• a pressure booster shaft in the form of a centrifugal pump shaft or compressor shaft;
• a coupling between the rotatable motor shaft and the pressure booster shaft, the coupling consisting of:
• a hydraulic variable speed drive arranged between the rotatable motor shaft and the pressure booster shaft, the hydraulic variable speed drive comprising an impeller, a turbine, a guide wheel with vanes, and an actuator system comprising a valve and a vane actuator, the common driver side fluid is supplied from the valve to and from the vane actuator, and further wherein the actuator system controls an angle of the vanes, wherein the impeller of the hydraulic variable speed drive is arranged on the rotatable motor shaft and a turbine of the hydraulic variable speed drive is arranged on the centrifugal pump shaft or compressor shaft of the pressure booster;
• a common driver side fluid for cooling, lubricating, flushing and powering of the hydraulic variable speed drive and cooling, lubricating and flushing of the motor and bearings;
• a control system for controlling a coupling of the rotatable motor shaft to the pump or compressor shaft by the hydraulic variable speed drive, without any electric variable speed drive, wherein the rotatable motor shaft drives the centrifugal pump shaft or compressor shaft via the hydraulic variable speed drive;
• and
• a driver side impeller on the rotatable motor shaft that pressurizes the common driver side fluid, wherein the driver side impeller is configured to power an actuator system of the control system and power the hydraulic variable speed drive in one of a separate motor housing and a common driver side compartment containing the motor and the hydraulic variable speed drive,
• a cooler for cooling the common driver side fluid, arranged outside the motor housing or the common driver side compartment, fluidly coupled to the common driver side fluid;
• and
• wherein the cooler and inlet pipe to and outlet pipe from the cooler are the only structure outside the motor housing or the common driver side compartment to which flow of the common driver side fluid is configured to flow, wherein the common driver side fluid circulates in the apparatus only in the motor housing or the common driver side compartment and directly to and from the cooler.

An apparatus for boosting pressure of petroleum fluids, produced water or seawater, the apparatus consisting essentially of:

• a motor;
• a pressure booster in the form of a centrifugal pump or a compressor;
• a rotatable motor shaft;
• and
• a pressure booster shaft in the form of a centrifugal pump shaft or compressor shaft;
• a coupling between the rotatable motor shaft and the pressure booster shaft, the coupling comprising:
• a hydraulic variable speed drive arranged between the rotatable motor shaft and the pressure booster shaft, the hydraulic variable speed drive comprising an impeller, a turbine, a guide wheel with vanes, and an actuator system comprising a valve and a vane actuator, the common driver side fluid is supplied from the valve to and from the vane actuator, and further wherein the actuator system controls an angle of the vanes, wherein the impeller of the hydraulic variable speed drive is arranged on the rotatable motor shaft and a turbine of the hydraulic variable speed drive is arranged on the centrifugal pump shaft or compressor shaft of the pressure booster, wherein the hydraulic variable speed drive is the only coupling rotatably coupling the motor shaft and the pressure booster shaft;
• a common driver side fluid for cooling, lubricating, flushing and powering of the hydraulic variable speed drive and cooling, lubricating and flushing of the motor and bearings;
• a control system for controlling a coupling of the rotatable motor shaft to the pump or compressor shaft by the hydraulic variable speed drive, wherein the rotatable motor shaft drives the centrifugal pump shaft or compressor shaft via the hydraulic variable speed drive, without control of any electric variable speed drive;
• a driver side impeller on the rotatable motor shaft, or a pump or a hydraulic power unit, that pressurizes the common driver side fluid, wherein the driver side impeller, the pump or hydraulic power unit are configured to power an actuator system of the control system and power the hydraulic variable speed drive in one of a separate motor housing and a common driver side compartment containing the motor and the hydraulic variable speed drive;
• a cooler for cooling the common driver side fluid, arranged outside the motor housing or the common driver side compartment, fluidly coupled to the common driver side fluid;
• wherein the cooler is the only structure outside the motor housing or the common driver side compartment to which flow of the common driver side fluid is configured to flow, wherein the common driver side fluid circulates in the apparatus only in the motor housing or the common driver side compartment and the cooler;
• and
• wherein the rotatable coupling between the motor shaft and pump or compressor shaft is by the hydraulic variable speed drive only.